Illness? Blue flu? Metro scrambles to cover routes

6:17 PM,
Jan. 4, 2013

Written by

The Enquirer

Two days before a new Metro policy on sick time takes effect, higher-than-usual absenteeism among bus drivers Friday produced temporary service disruptions on some routes.

Terry Garcia Crews, Metro's CEO and general manager, said while the "absences may be legitimate and the timing coincidental," the situation that saw 59 morning-shift drivers call in sick also could be a reaction to the new policy.

Metro employees, she said, have been "less than enthusiastic" over the policy change, designed to reduce driver absenteeism that has ...